Kikkoman USA makes no halal claim for its soy sauce and says its soy sauces contain more than 2% alcohol by volume, produced naturally during fermentation.

Is Kikkoman halal? (checked October 2026)

The longer answer

Kikkoman USA's FAQ (checked October 2026) states: "Kikkoman Soy Sauces contain greater than 2% alcohol by volume. The alcohol is a result of the fermentation process. Like wine or beer, our soy sauces are brewed and they are made from wheat, soybeans, salt and water."

The product page for its regular soy sauce lists four ingredients: water, soybeans, wheat and salt. Alcohol is not added as a separate ingredient on that list. The page shows Orthodox Union kosher certification and vegan certification, with no halal certification.

Scholars differ on alcohol that forms naturally in fermented foods, so we state the fact and leave the judgement to the reader. We found no halal statement on Kikkoman's US site. Other Kikkoman sauces, such as teriyaki, have their own ingredient lists that we did not review.

What to check before you order

If you avoid naturally brewed soy sauce because of its alcohol content, look for a soy sauce that carries a halal certifier's mark. Read the labels of teriyaki sauces and marinades separately, since their ingredients differ from plain soy sauce.

How we decide

We only report what the company or its certifier has said publicly, and we link to it below. We do not test food, and we do not take a brand’s word from a single franchise. If a location tells you something different from this page, trust the location and tell us.

Sources (2)